Apparatus for making plate glass



April. 21, 1925.

F.E.TROUTMAN TAL LESSR APPARATUS FOR MAKING PLATE GLASS Filed May 7,1919 FIG:g 1

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4 SheetsSheet l April 2L 1925. 1,535,062

F. E. TROUTMAN ET M APPARATUS FOR MAKING PLATE GLASS Filed May 7, 1919 4Sheets-Sheet @ma m, 1925. 1,53562 F. E. TROUTMAN ET AL APPARATUS FORMAKNG PLATE GLASS Filed May 7, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 21, 1925.LSBSR F. E. TROUTMAN ET AL APPARATUS FOR MAKING PLATE GLASS Filed May'7, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented pr. 2l i925.

FANK E. TBOUTMAN AND' CHARLES H. CHRS'IHE, OF BUTLER, JEIHTSY' AIEPH/TUSFOR MAKEN@ PLATE GLASS.

Application filed May 7, 1919. Serial llc. Etif't;

apparatus :for making rolled or plate glass.

The main object of the invention is to pron vide apparatus by use otwhich the glass can 'be manufactured cheaper and better.

These objects are attained by first-melting the glass batch in a tankfurnace, which 1s by nature the most economical and eilicient Way ofmaking glass, and then transferring the molten glass from the furnace tothe castingir table, Where it is rolled flat, without impairing thequality ot the metal. lt is well known that the quality-of the moltenmetal deteriorates With handling or disturbing its body.

At the present time the better quality flat or rolled glass is melted inclay pots in furnaces and after the glass is melted the Whole furnace iscooled to reduce the temperature of the glass to a suitable Workingtemperature. rlhen the pots are taken out of the 'furnace and carried tothe casting' table where the pots are emptied on the table tor rollinglto a flat plate. These pots are then returned to the furnace until allhave been emptied and the process ot melting` is again resumed. The c stot these pots excessive and the handling; and pot furnaces are by nomeans el'icient. Much batch materia-l is also Wasted in this operationin the boiling over of the pots and the spillage in illing vthe pots.Some glasses ot poorer qualit-y are produced by melting' in a tankfurnace and reinovinpr the glass `from the tank, by meansl of a ladle tothe casting table. However, this ladling process agitates the body otthe iolten glass in the tank 'furnace resulting in a poor quality otglass. The ,el-ass in these furnaces must also be cooled preparatory toladling' to reduce the temperature of the glass suliciently for casting.The melting' temperature of the glass is relatively much hotter than theworking temperature.

-The'use of our apparatus provides for transferring the molten glassfrom the tank furnace to the casting' table in a body, thus eliminatinglthe use oi pots or ladies of f kind. lt also provides for taking theglas from the tank in a practically continnous stream, thus niitting;the fur to operate under most favorable conditions to produce thehighest quality oit glass continuously. However, this continuousoperation is not essential to the Working of our appare.- tus. .y

The temperature or the .Glass at the ini' ing end is essentially' veryhi'gl'i dur' operation oit melting, sc we have provided means 'forcoolingl the glass to a suitable working temperature during the proctransfer to the casting table. Duri the process of transfer the body cgtthe :metal is not agitated in. any Way and hence its quality notaffected. *Uur apparatus also provides inc-ans by which all made uniformin siae and vet of di .erent thickness it so desired, all ot Wl 'ch arefrom the detects which have their origin in dumping Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional 'View on the line Q- llig. l; 3 is a cross-sectionat the front end ot the :f 'unvay showing` the glass beine' dischargedonto the castiT q table; and Figs. e, 5, 6, and 8 short' nsoditied formsot our invention.

A tank 'furnace ot the usual construction fi and design, common in theis used to melt the glass batch and attached to the end of this tankfurnace and adjacent the position of the iinished glass in the furnace(the end o'i which only is shown) is the runway 9, which is connected tothe iut ce at the discharge opening; 3 in the side of the tui-nace 2. Alioater 4 is shown in the, fur-- nace located directly in front of hedischarge opening 3. This floater is ot the usual type and constructionand. is common in the art. lts function is to prevent the objects on thesurface ot the glass from passing into 'the run "ay il. The molten glassfrom the turnace flows by gravity through the discharge opening' in thefurnace, into the runway 9 and. this [low mtv he stopped it desired bythe plates cfa he means of the gate valve 5 which is a block.

of refractory clay fitted neatly to the pas# sage in the runway. Thevalve 5 is raised molten metal therein which leaves the 'fur-- nace at ahigh temperature to cool suiiiciently, by natural radiation or by forcedventi-.y

lation ol the runway through the openings 13 in its side Walls or roof,to leave the metal at a suitable Working temperature. Should the metalbecome too cool, owing to changing Weather conditions, the glass may beheated to the desired temperature by means ot the gas burners 13 locatedin the openings 13 in the runway, the saine place Where the cool airpipes are located. Y rllhe iact that We can accurately control thetemperature oi the glass in the runway is of great value in securing-`good and uniform results.

There is provided a gate valve 14 and.

bypass 15 similarly constructedfto 5. and 9, respectively, forconnecting niore than one melting furnace lto the one runway. This is toprovide for maintaining the supply of glass should the melting furnace 2need re pair.

Adjacent the delivery end of the runway 9 there is provided a gate 16similar to 'and controlled in the same manner as gate 5. This gate willpermit the glass being shut oit Jfrom the delivery end for repairs tothe delivery end 17 when necessary. This delivery end. 1'? is providedwith a valve 19 which is raised and lovvered by means ot' the aircylinder SEG. This valve 19 seats on a relatively small lire-clay valveseat 18 which is therefore easily renewable.

in the construction shown in Figs. 4; and 'l' the roller ill is mountedon a stationary stand 21. In this case the table 21 receives the glassand moves over in line with the' roller mounted on the stationary standso that/'the roller can pass 'from the stationary l stand onto the tableAto perform the rolling operation.

in Figs 5 and 3 the roller 21d is mounted on the short table 21traveling on the tracks transversely of the runway/and the main table9,1@ lis stationary. l'n this case the glass is deposited on the shorttable 21 and that tableis then inovedpover into line with the ry table214- whereupon the .glass is lied on both the short table 21 andstationary table 2li. lt will be ap f however, that in this constructionit will be necessary to have the cutting Wheel 30 carried by the trolley31 and driven by taire cai-e of the plates.

the motor 33, said trolley traveling' on i'ho track 32. In this Wayprovision is iliade im: cutting ofi that portion of glass on the shorttable 21e which would be or' .inferior quahtys Figs. Gand 8 also show adifferent form oi 'i at its very high finishing temperature is perinitt-ed to flow by gravity 'from the i'urnare 2 through the outlet 3and the gate valve 5 into the runway 9 until the runway is filledthrough its length.

This class is radiating its heat all the time 1n passing throughl therunway either by forced or natural means, until it arrives atl` .thedelivery end of the runway.' li ior anyA reason the glass has becomeAtoo cold it may bev reheated in the runway by means of the burners 13.So in any case We have the glass arriving at the delivery end of therunway .at a proper temperature .ior worlr ing. The casting table.meanwhile has been moved toits position, on the opposite side of thedelivery end to the position of rolling, then the valve 19 in thedelivery end 17 is opened and the glass is permitted to flow out ontothe floor until a desired stream has been established. When 'the streamof glass is correct the table 2lv is moved on the tracks 25 by means or'the motor @ai and the wheels 22 so that the stream of glass is depositedon the table in the position determined. After the table has' passedthrough the stream, the valve 1i) is closed and the glassWhieh'riribbled onto the iioor in the opening and closing of the valveis returned to the furnace for remelting.

@he table having meanwhile arrived at the position before the leer ovenor lriln the roller is drawn across the table in the usual mannerforming the flat plate, which in turn is pushed oil the table in theusual manner into the leer oven or kiln for an healing. The roller andtable are then returned to theiroriginal positions to receive anothereharge of glass and the Whole operan tion repeated as fast as the leeror lrilrrcan This in practice varies 'from 6 to 10 minutes. lt isreadily apparent that by varying the speed oi the table pasisug throughthe stream oi" glass any d ed amount of glass can be deposited on theble. This allows any thickness of Till llG

-them can be made the same size.

Lasaeea plates to be made on the table but all of rlhe ad vantage ofthis will be apparent to those versed in the art. i

The same results can be obtained by the dill'erent methods as shown inthe drawings accompanying this description, the only difference being inthe fact that in the different v drawings the roller in one .case is notcar-V qin order to secure the most perfect plates possible.

By having the casting table much larger ,than the size ot' the plate forwhich the an;

nealing ovens are designed, we could roll a plate larger andby using alcutter like 30 at each end of the plate, we could have each and everyplate that enters the annealing ovens exactly the same size. Advantagesof this are obvious.

1. ln apparatus for making plate or llat glass, the combination with acasting table of a melting Jfurnace, a shallow runway of materiallygreater length thanwidth communicating with said furnace, said runwayhaving a delivery pocket ,at the outer end, and means for controllingthe discharge of the glass from the bottom of said delivery, pocket.

2. 'ln apparatus for making plate -or flat glass, the combination with acasting table yot' a melting furnace, a shallow runway of materiallygreater length than width communicating with said furnace a-nd adaptedto receive the glass from said furnace continuously, said runway havinga deliveryl 3. In apparatus for making plate or flat glass, thecombination of a melting furnace, a shallow runway of materially reaterlength than width communicating wit said furnace having a deliverypocket at its outer end, acasting table, and means for delivering theglass from said delivery pocket to `said table intermittently. v

4.' ln apparatus for making plate or flat glass, the combination with acasting table 'of a melting furnace, -a shallow runway of materiallygreater length than width communicating with said furnace; a deliverypocket 'at the outer end of said runway, means for independentlycontrolling the temerature of the glass in said runway, means orindependently controlling the temperature of the glass 1n said deliverypocket, and means for discharging the glass from the delivery pocket,t

5. Apparatus for casting molten' glass 'comprising a reservoir havmg aglass capacity materially greater than the quantity o't. glassdischarged during a single casting operation, the said reservoir havinga downwardly opening glass outlet, a table adapted to move beneath thesaid glass outlet, and a roll for forming the glass on said table into asheet.

6. ln apparatus for making flat glass, the combination of a meltingfurnace, a shallow runway. of materially greater' length than Widthcommunicating` with said furnace,

'means independent of said furnace for controlling the temperature ofthe glass at the outer end of said runway, a receptacle adapted toreceive glass from the outer end of said runwa and having a dischargeopening in its ottom, a casting table adapted to move beneath saidopening, and means for forming the glass on said table into a sheet.

In testimony whereof, we, the said FRANK E. TROUTMAN and CHARLES H.Cums'rm, have hereunto set our hands.

FRANK n. rnoUTMAN. CHARLES n. onlarsrrn.

Witnesses THnononn C. H. Knox. C. E. FLACK.

